Role of social media in govt stressed

Dubai, September 2, 2013

Social media is no longer optional but a necessity in government communication strategies, said a senior UAE official.

Speaking at the annual GCC Government Social Media Summit, which opened in Dubai today, Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) director general, said: “The concerted focus on how government departments can better incorporate social networks into communication strategies is one that officials right across the world are engaged in. The UAE operates right at the cutting edge of this international trend and events such as these are crucial to continuation of this development.”

Both citizens and business in the UAE currently enjoy a state of digital preparedness that is the direct result of our leadership’s foresight, he said.

UAE’s all government-related sectors and departments will become fully social network connected and mobile by 2015, said Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, the deputy director general for information and eGovernment Sector at the TRA.

Speaking on the subject: “Driving mGovernment and Smart Government via Social Networks to Enhance Government Communications, he said: “We are confident that this would lead to a better understanding of the needs of our people on a real-time basis.”

The summit featured several thoughtful perspectives on the future of social media in the GCC.

GCC Government Social Media Summit 2013 chairman Fadi Salem, director governance & innovation, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, delivered a keynote address on “The Impact of Social Media in the Arab Region”.

Meanwhile, a statement said as of early 2013, the UAE is the world leader in smartphone penetration, at 73.8 per cent and Saudi Arabia came in third, at 72.8 per cent. – TradeArabia News Service